A Reluctant Ending
by Kidalana
Summary: For every beginning there is an end. But what can he do alone? [Character Death]


**Warnings;** Character death, Kino/Hermes?

**Disclaimer**; Kida no own Kino no Tabi. The end, let's move on.

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It was an open field and the sun was setting quickly. A traveler and mechanical companion had made a small shaded spot off by the tree line their place to stay the night. The traveler was a young girl with dark eyes and hair, the mechanical companion was a motorrad that was loaded down with luggage. But as he stood propped up by his kickstand she lay on the ground as if she'd fallen, or been pushed. Between the two was a patch of grass and silence.

"Kino," he said after a few more minutes of silence. For a while he got no response, the Kino he addressed remained silent and still where she lay. At this silence the motorrad grew somewhat panicked, "Kino?" he asked, concern in his voice once again. In addition to the concern in his voice the panic slipped in just as easily when after moments pause he added; "Kino, are you okay?"

After another couple of minutes Kino made a noise close to coughing, "What Hermes?" she asked in a weak voice. The dark eyed traveler tried her best to sit herself up, trying to stop laying on the ground in defeat. However once she put her weight on her two arms she just had no more strength. Because of this she was back on the grassy ground, laying there limply.

Unable to move and unable to help Hermes watched, feeling strangely sad seeing his friend in such a state. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked, trying to keep obvious worry about of his voice. But in the end unable to.

Another long pause Kino turned her head slightly to look at Hermes. Looking at his friend's normally sad eyes he noticed the dark color of her eyes looked faded and dull. As if she were fading away; dieing. However she did her best to hide the pain she felt, to try and hide it in her eyes. Smiling at Hermes she replied in that same weak tone he heard earlier, "I'll be okay Hermes. I just need some..." she paused and the smiled faded, her eyes went back to looking sad and the pain was revealed. Lowering her head back to the ground again she left the sentence unfinished. Finishing that sentence would be admitting defeat.

Hermes felt sad, weak, almost like he too was dieing. What would he do if she died? Even though he did his best to remain optimistic about his friend's condition it was obvious she didn't have long. How much longer would he be able to hear her voice and see her smile? At some point she'd close her eyes and be gone, forever. And when she was gone what would he do?

"Hermes?" she asked in a soft tone, her voice fading as she addressed him. When she had managed to say his name her eyes slowly closed.

For a while Hermes didn't know how to react, "Kino?" he asked, concerned and afraid, "You aren't going to die are you?"

Somehow she managed to sit herself up, after smiling at Hermes she reached her hand out to lightly touch him. Letting her hand limply rest on his gas tank in a weak yet affectionate manner, "Of course not."

A lie, he knew it and she knew it but regardless she told it. And desperately he wanted to believe it. But as she said her lie he could tell she was weak, he could tell that it was taking all of Kino's strength to keep herself sitting up like that. Taking most of her strength to say she'll be okay. "You can lean on me," it was all he could do to help her.

"I could tip you over," she said slowly, putting her arm at her side.

For a moment there was silence then Hermes replied in his mechanical voice, "I don't mind."

Kino looked at him curiously and tilted her head slightly, for a moment he worried she might fall over and never get up again. Instead she smiled at him, "Really?"

Things could be almost normal. "Really," he repeated. Though when he spoke it portrayed his sadness. If a motorrad could cry it was very likely that he would be doing so. Kino was silent as she slid over by Hermes and wrapped her arms around him. He could feel her weight on him, she wasn't heavy and he'd carried her weight plenty of times. Hermes didn't mind supporting her weight, he rather liked when Kino was close to him.

She tilted her head and rested it on his gas tank. If only he could hold her, comfort her and make her better. Rather than sitting with her as she died. "Maybe we could go to the next country, they might have someone who can help," he said this trying to seem normal.

Kino shook her head, "The next country's," her response was cut short as she fell into a fit of coughing, Hermes was silent as she coughed. After a while she continued her sentence in a weaker and softer voice than before, "Five days away, I'm just too tired to make it."

Long ago the sun had dipped bellow the horizon and now the two were bathed in darkness. Darkness and the cool night air. Shivering slightly she moved closer to Hermes. Almost like she was cold and searching for warmth. Once again Hermes was no help, he was mechanical, a machine there was no way he'd be able to give her warmth. "Sorry Kino," he said in a sorrowful tone.

Kino held onto Hermes tighter, "It's not your fault," she replied, her voice soft and barely heard.

Once again the two fell into silence and the only thing Hermes wanted to do was slowly fade away and die like Kino was, once she died he'd be alone. But more important when she died and moved on, she'd be alone. If that made any sense. Their silence was broken as Hermes tipped over onto his side, Kino laying on his upturned side.

Realizing he'd fallen she started to make a move to prop him up again. "No, don't," he said as she flopped onto him once again, weak and defeated.

"Sorry Hermes," she said and Hermes felt Kino's weight fall completely against him, she had no strength left.

"It's not your fault," he replied. Using the words she'd said to him earlier as a response. Pausing a moment he asked in a saddened voice, "Kino?"

Her response was a barely heard answer, "Yeah?" He had to really try his best to hear what she was saying.

He'd forgotten what he was going to ask her. But it was a relief to hear her speak, even if soon she wouldn't be anymore. "I love you," he said to fill the silence, he thought. Though one would argue that since he had no heart he couldn't feel any love, couldn't give any love.

Holding onto him tighter she reached over to pet his headlight. If she was trying to comfort him or reassure him he didn't know but after a while she stopped, her hand completely limp. Resting against him Hermes listened carefully, listening for an answer, a response.

"Me too," she said this in a soft tone, that faded away smoothly. Faded away into the night until it was just a sweet memory.

When Kino died Hermes felt he had as well.

He wished he had.

So much for okay.

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Sort of old.


End file.
